Nepal: IFJ condemns detention of 25 journalists

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PUBLISHED ON November 17, 2007 AT 7:53 AM

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the detention of 25 journalists in Nepal on Thursday.

The journalists were participating in a peaceful protest organised by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) in Kathmandu to demand the Government take action on the murder of journalist Birendra K. Shah and also track the whereabouts of journalist Prakash Singh Thakuri, who was last seen in Mahendranagar on July 5.

Police detained the protesters for obstructing the entrance gate to the office of the Nepal Government’s Secretariat. The journalists were held at the Mahendra Police Club for two hours.

The FNJ said those arrested were Yuvraj Bidrohi (FNJ Kathmandu chapter president), Ujir Magar (FNJ Lalitpur chapter president), Ishworiraj Dhakal, Govinda Pokharel, Dhana Bahadur Magar, Bhuwan KC, Biswomani Subedi, Kiran Dhakal, Megham Hamal, Bhabindra Karki, Prakash Timsina, Govinda Prasad Chaulagain, Amrit Baniya, Bir Man Sherpa, Manoj Timsina, Kalpana Sharma, Dinesh Khanal, Suresh Raut, Mukunda Poudel, Sanjeev Bagale, Mohan Rai, Sagar Rana Magar, J.B Ghale Magar, Baikuntha Bhandari and Ishwor Raj Magar.

The FNJ, supported by the IFJ, criticised the police interference in what had been peaceful protest.

Safety and the security of media personnel is a continuing concern for journalists in Nepal.

On November 13, R.K. Patel, a correspondent of Radio Birgunj and the Prateek daily, was reportedly threatened by a police officer at the Amarpatti Police Post, Birgunj, in central Nepal. Patel had also allegedly received threatening calls from unknown phone numbers.

Narayan Shah, president of the FNJ Rukum chapter, reported receiving a death threat from a Maoist district leader in Musikot on November 5.

The IFJ and the FNJ call on authorities in Nepal to guarantee freedom of expression as a democratic right and ensure that journalists are not subject to intimidation in the course of their work.

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0919

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries

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